Before We Fell Apart
by convictrevenge
Summary: Victoria Harper meets Conrad Grayson through strange circumstances. My version of how TV's best villains first met.
1. Chapter 1

Victoria Harper nervously walked down the busy streets of South Hampton, keeping her eyes on the ground and making sure not to bump into any strangers. A growl in her stomach reminded her of what her reason for coming to the city was.

She walked another block until she came to the city's huge farmers market. It was filled with delicious drinks, fruits, and vegetables. Her stomach growled again and Victoria winced. The hunger pains were getting stronger. She didn't want to break the law but she feared she'd die if she didn't.

Slowly she walked into the rows of vegetables and fruit, casually glancing at each booth. She needed to find something small.

As she neared the end of the market, she saw the perfect victim.

A stand sitting two booths down from the end was filled with ripe oranges. She bit her lip and decided she'd choose those.

She tried to keep her hands from shaking as she approached the booth slowly. The man working there gave her one glance, then rudely turned back to his paper.

Pretending to inspect each orange carefully, Victoria let her right hand slowly slip up to the bottom of the booth. She quickly and carefully snatched up one of the bright fruits.

She turned away from the booth, breathing hard, and slipped it in her pocket, walking faster and faster as she neared the end.

"Hey! I saw that!"

The man working at the booth had now set down his newspaper and came out of the booth, walking towards Victoria. "You have to pay for that!"

Without a second thought Victoria broke out into a run, her skinny legs propelling across the ground as she neared the exit. She glanced back and found the man was pursuing her as well, and he was gaining quickly.

Suddenly she felt arms grab her shoulders, and hold her still. She looked up and tried to fight them, but the large man stopped her.

"Hey," he called to the man she'd stolen from. "What the hell did she do?"

By now some people were forming into a crowd to watch the scene.

"She stole an orange," he informed the whole crowd.

"Bill, you've got enough oranges," the man holding Victoria reminded him.

The orange booth man- Bill?- shook his head. "It's theft. She took it, she needs to pay for it. And we'll let you go."

Victoria shook her head quietly, keeping her gaze focused on the ground.

"What's the matter? You got any money?" Bill shouted, moving in closer to her. "You can't pay for it?"

When she didn't respond, he took a step closer and grabbed her shoulders, shoving her back. "Answer me!"

Victoria stumbled backwards, shocked that the man had actually shoved her in front of this many people. "I-I don't have any money..." she stuttered, embarrassed.

Bill advanced towards her again, his face red with anger. "You took it and you can't pay me back. That's theft. Someone call the cops!"

At this, Victoria turned around to run again but Bill grabbed her just in time and forced her to the ground so she couldn't move. Victoria winced in pain.

"Hey, hey," she heard a voice yell.

She slowly stood up, rubbing her head as she watched a brown-haired man dressed in nice clothing walk towards Bill.

"Let her go, one orange isn't worth it," the stranger ordered.

"The hell it is," Bill responded. "She stole from me."

Bill grabbed Victoria's arm and yanked her over to face the brown-haired stranger. "And she can't pay it back.

"She looks like she hasn't eating in days," the stranger bargained. "Give her the damn orange and leave her alone!"

"Starving or not, she needs to pay," Bill insisted. "Or I'll call the cops."

Victoria tried to run again while his attention was elsewhere, but the stranger stopped her, his hands immediately going to her waist. "Bill, I can feel her ribs through her clothes. She's just a kid!"

"I'm 19," Victoria snapped, shying away from his grasp.

"Conrad, let's go," a blond-haired woman begged, grabbing his arm. "We have to get home. What will your father say if he knew you were making a scene like this?"

"Stevie, go wait in the car if you don't like it," Conrad snapped.

The woman seemed somewhat shocked, and turned away with a huff.

"Here," Conrad said, thrusting a few bills towards the angry merchant. "This should be enough to cover the orange, and your 'hassle'."

Bill grabbed the bills and glared at Victoria for a moment, then turned around and walked away. Victoria breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you," she murmured shyly to the man who'd saved her. She turned to walk away but he gently grabbed her wrist.

"Of course," he replied. "I'm Conrad Grayson."

"I'm Victoria Harper," she revealed, shaking his hand awkwardly and looking directly at him for the first time. He seemed to be around her age, maybe a little older.

"Are you okay, Victoria?" Conrad asked, sympathetically rubbing her shoulder.

She nodded, tensing up and stepping back to escape his touch. "Yes, I shouldn't have done that, I'm sorry."

"It's fine, we all need to eat," he joked, but soon realized it wasn't funny in her case.

"I should get going," Victoria mumbled, turning around again, her cheeks flushing red. He was a rich man, probably making fun of her in his head right now.

"Okay... well, it was nice meeting you," Conrad called as she walked away. She didn't reply, pushing her hands in her pockets tightly and jogging off.

* * *

><p>"That's all you got? One measly orange?"<p>

"I'm sorry James, I was going to get more, but I got caught..." Victoria apologized, sitting down on the ratty couch with a sigh.

"That isn't an excuse," James shouted. "We're living in the cellar of an abandoned house because you can't hold down a job long enough to get a paycheck, and now you're saying you can't get us food either?"

"I can keep a job as long as I want, you told me to take extra money from the registers when the manager wasn't looking!" Victoria explained, her stomach growling. "If I hadn't been caught I could've still worked there!"

"Pathetic," James spat, snatching the orange from her hand and peeling it. "I don't even know why I'm still with a girl like you."

Victoria bit her tongue, forcing herself to stay quiet. She didn't appreciate being with a man like him when he acted like this.

"There's an old broom in the corner," James snapped, taking a bite of the orange. "Try to clean this dump up."

Victoria stood up with a sigh. "Are you going to eat the whole thing?"

"Yes," James replied, popping the remainder into his mouth. "You can eat if you actually provide food."

"I did! I went through hell to get that!" She yelled, tears stinging in her eyes. "You haven't done anything but sit on this couch and complain!"

He stood up quickly and raised his fist up, and Victoria flinched, covering her face with one hand.

He looked like he was torn between wanting to beat her and wanting to sit back down, so Victoria tentatively backed up a few steps, shaky hands wrapping around the broom. He stepped forward and put a hand on her cheek, caressing it as gently as he knew how.

Victoria tensed under his touch, and looked down. "Sorry," she said quietly.

"You're probably just tired, or hungry, and that's why you're acting like this," James convinced himself-and her- flatly. "You can clean up tomorrow. Let's go to bed."

She tried not to think of how hungry she was, and how he had ate the only food they had... it angered her. But she forced herself to stay quiet, and simply nodded, happy for the chance to rest.

James lay down on the dirty old mattress that had been discarded carelessly in the corner of the tiny cellar. Victoria nervously followed him, laying down beside him and reaching for the blanket.

He pulled the thin blanket up over both of them and rolled onto his side silently, not even saying so much as a "goodnight" to her. She was used to it, and quietly curled her knees up to her chest, attempting to keep warm. As she drifted off to a restless sleep, she couldn't help but hope things would get better.

* * *

><p>"Stevie called and told me you made a scene in the city today," Edward Grayson brought up as he followed his son into the bar.<p>

"I didn't make a scene, Dad," Conrad bargained. "A woman stole an orange and I paid for it."

"Well your wife told me the cops were involved," Edward snapped, taking a drink out of the glass handed to him. "You need to watch yourself. A starving old lady isn't your business."

"She was 19, skin and bones, and had a bruise on her face," Conrad explained. "I felt bad for her. She didn't have any money."

"Still, it isn't your responsibility!"

"Yes it is!" Conrad argued further. "You would've done the same thing."

"No," Edward objected. "I'm not stupid! I don't give a damn about some poor teenager who can't take care of herself. It isn't our problem! You shoud've stayed out of it."

Conrad sighed, his temper rising. "Whatever, Dad. Have it your way. But I would do it all over again."

"One orange won't make a difference," Edward reminded him shortly. "You didn't even help the damn girl. Don't go around thinking you've somehow saved her life."

With that, he set his glass down and left the bar. Conrad sighed, considering what he'd said. Had he really helped that girl? He'd been struck with... something when he saw her. She was beautiful, even with the bruises on her face. He admired her temper too, she was a fighter... he needed to help her more. He needed to find her again.

Conrad knew Stevie wouldn't agree, but he picked up his cell phone and dialed the number of his personal security agent.

"I need you to find me Victoria Harper."

He shut his phone off, knowing Frank would have a result soon. And when he did, Conrad was going to make sure he was the first to get to her, before his father or anyone else.

* * *

><p><strong>I've always wanted to write about how Conrad and Victoria first met, and I know this is very different from what the show describes, but I decided to take my own twists on it. In this story Victoria already gave up Patrick and is now living with her boyfriend James, who as you can tell, is a piece of crap. Conrad's married to Stevie at this point in time too. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed it! I have a lot of ideas for the upcoming chapters. Please review and thanks for reading :)<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

A foot jabbed into Victoria's side unexpectedly, waking her up. She opened her eyes fearfully and sat up, slowly massaging her side to take away the small pain.

"Get up," James ordered, walking over to the makeshift kitchen. "We have nothing to eat, I'm starving."

"Me too," Victoria mumbled. "I haven't ate in three days."

"You need to get another job," he decided as he rummaged through the cupboards to find a glass. "I want to buy some things and we don't have money."

"You can't waste my money on things we don't need," Victoria pleaded as she began changing into one of her few pairs of clothes. "You bought a laptop last month and that set us back a lot."

"Well I needed something to keep me occupied while you're out," he shot back, taking a sip of water. "Which is where you should be right now. Try to find a job, or food, or some way to get money."

She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I don't know if I can..."

"You better. If you come home empty handed tonight I won't be as easy as I was on you last night," he grunted, handing her the hairbrush. "Wash up and go."

She took the hairbrush wordlessly and headed towards the mirror.

* * *

><p>Conrad sat at a local coffee shop, near where he had his first run-in with that mysterious woman. His security team had found minor details about her, such as her age, parents and employees, and Conrad knew enough to realize that she didn't have a job. Which probably explained why she was starving. He couldn't help but feel bad for her.<p>

He took another sip of coffee, hoping it would wake him up a little so he could be more efficient in the office today. As he drank, his eyes scanned the room, glancing through the windows at the people outside.

That's when he saw her.

It was the same girl from the market, only now she was wearing a pair of leggings and a brown jacket. Her hair was down and it looked like the bruise she had on her face was fading.

He casually walked to the door and glanced to his right, pretending that he had only noticed her now. "Hey. Victoria, right?"

She was startled that someone had bothered to talk to her, but immediately recognized him. "Yes... and you're..."

"Conrad," he said, refreshing her memory. "Conrad Grayson."

She nodded and looked down, and Conrad could tell something was wrong. He was determined to get to the bottom of it.

"So do you live around here?" He asked casually.

"Yes," she replied, pointing behind her. "Back that way."

"Ah," he nodded, an idea striking his mind that he knew she wouldn't be able to resist. "Why don't you come in, and I'll buy you something. You look hungry."

She bit her lip, the idea was tempting but she should probably continue her search for a job. Although one coffee wouldn't hurt? Maybe a muffin, too? The thought of food made her stomach growl again.

"Come on," Conrad pressed. "Let me treat you."

"Okay," she agreed, trying to suppress her smile.

He led her to the menu, pulling out his wallet. "Have you had breakfast yet?"

She shook her head quietly.

"Well then order some of that too. I can cover it."

"Thank you," she replied, smiling at him again.

Victoria ordered a coffee and a muffin, although she had wanted much more. But she didn't want this man to see that she was in need.

Conrad could tell that she had ordered less than she wanted, so he ordered another coffee and muffin for himself as well, hoping he could convince her to eat it.

Once they received their order, Conrad led her over to the table he had been sitting at. He pulled her chair out for her and she thanked him as she sat down.

"You bought two coffees," she pointed out with a laugh as she unwrapped her muffin.

"Damn," he swore, laughing as well. "Maybe I need a little less coffee and a little more sleep. Here, you take the new one, I'll finish my old."

"Are you sure?" Victoria asked carefully.

Conrad nodded. "Take the muffin too, I didn't want it. They messed up my order."

Even though they both knew it was a lie, Victoria gratefully accepted the food, planning to bring it home to James. Maybe then he wouldn't be angry at her.

After a moment of silence between the two, Conrad finally brought up the risky subject. "So, yesterday at the market..."

"I'm sorry, again," she apologized, cheeks burning red.

"No, no, it's fine," he convinced her. "I just... I was wondering, were you stealing it as a joke or did you really _need _it?"

Victoria swallowed the remains of her muffin before speaking. "I...I just didn't have the money at that point."

He nodded, feeling awful for pressing her for more information, but he needed to get to the bottom of this. He wanted to help her. "Do you have a job?"

"Used to," she remembered. "I don't anymore."

"Oh, what happened?"

She cleared her throat uncomfortably. "M-my boyfriend...he convinced me to take some money from the company... I got caught."

For some strange reason, the fact that she had a boyfriend bothered Conrad greatly, even though he was _married,_ for heaven's sake! "Your ex-boyfriend, I'm assuming?"

"No, we're still together," she replied quietly, looking down. For the first time, it ashamed her to admit she was with a man like that.

"Mm. Does he work?"

She shook her head. "He... well, he just doesn't want to. That's why I stole the orange... money's tight and we didn't have any food at home."

Conrad stared at her in shock. "Tell me the truth. Do you have any money, at all? Or does he waste it all?"

Victoria folded her hands in her lap, looking down at the ground again. "He wastes it," she answered silently. "We don't have anything."

Conrad bit his lip. He wanted to dig deeper, much deeper. He wanted to make her leave the bum she was with, but he knew he couldn't make this woman do anything. "Does your boyfriend do anything to provide for you?" He asked quietly.

"Well he's there with me..." she trailed off, unsure of how to answer.

"Does he pay the bills? Or did you buy the house?" Conrad asked again, trying to keep his voice lower and gentle.

Victoria tensed immediately. She didn't want to admit that she was homeless to this man... something about him scared her and intrigued her at the same time, and she wouldn't let him take pity on her. "You know what, look at the time," she laughed nervously. "I really should be going."

Conrad stood up, following her to the door. "You never answered my question..."

Victoria pretended not to hear him and began walking down the sidewalk, turning the corner to the back of the building. He followed her, gently touching her shoulder to gain her attention. "Is everything okay?"

She whirled around, straightening her hair nervously. "I'm fine. I just really need to get going."

He frowned. "You don't work. Where do you need to be?"

"I need to get home," she replied quickly.

"Let me walk you."

She shook her head, biting her lip. He was going to find out sooner or later. "No thank you, I'm fine."

"Victoria-"

"I told you I'm fine!" She screamed, on the verge of panicking. She couldn't let this man in any more. It would only hurt her worse.

"Okay," he apologized, lifting his hands in the air as if admitting defeat. Victoria flinched, taking it as a sign of violence and covering her head in her hands. "No, please..."

Conrad's eyes widened in shock and he dropped his hands, tentatively reaching for this... this puzzle of a woman. "Hey, I'm not going to hurt you," he promised, gently prying her hands from her head.

She gazed at him with wide eyes, realizing what she'd done. "I need to go," she stammered, and bolted away before he could say anything else.

He considered pursuing her again but realized he needed to give her some space. He needed to let her come to him. He wanted to protect her, he did. Nothing else... just protect her. He forced himself to remember his wife at home and his reputation. He couldn't throw all of that away for one girl.

* * *

><p>"James?" Victoria called as she entered the cellar, glancing around the dingy room. Her boyfriend was sitting on the makeshift couch, eyes shut.<p>

"James," she softly said again, shaking his shoulder gently to wake him up.

He grunted, stretching his arms out with a groan. "You better have found something to eat or I swear-"

"I did," she interrupted quickly, presenting the other coffee and muffin that Conrad had gave her. "Here."

James took the muffin from her hand and wolfed it down quickly, downing a bit of the coffee in one sip before setting it down besides him. He smiled in approval. "Good girl. How'd you get this?"

"I got lucky. A couple left their leftovers on the table and I took what was left," Victoria lied. She didn't want to tell him about Conrad yet.

James sipped more of the coffee, nodding his head with a grin. "This is the Victoria I know. Good job. Keep on doing this."

She nodded, happy that he wasn't angry with her.

"Come here," he decided, putting an arm around her waist. "You deserve a treat."

He laid down on the couch with a groan, and pulled Victoria down with him. His lips forced themselves on hers as she lay awkwardly on top of him.

Victoria shut her eyes as she kissed him, noticing how he seemed to roughly pinch and pull at her skin instead of massaging it. His kiss felt different too... rough and angry instead of loving.

A thought of how Conrad would feel to kiss drifted through her mind, but she forced it back, trying to push Conrad away all together. He was dangerous; she couldn't get too close. A rich married man like him couldn't ever want a woman like her, and she was convinced he was using her.

Finally James decided he was bored with her again, and pulled his lips away from hers. Victoria sat up, thankful for the release.

"You found a job or anything?" James asked, sitting up with her and putting his arm around her bony shoulders.

"Not yet," she admitted, hoping he wouldn't be too angry. "I can look more tomorrow-"

"You can look more now." His tone was harsh now, and intimidating.

Victoria sighed. Maybe the food hadn't fixed everything. "Okay."

She stood up slowly, ignoring the ache in her shoulders from the lack of sleep and the uncomfortable sleeping arrangements. "Would you like to come with me?" She offered, hoping he would say yes. Maybe he could get a job too.

James seemed to be considering it for a moment, at least she thought he was before he replied. "No. I'm tired."

"That's fine," she answered, slipping on her coat. "I'll be home soon."

"Be home with a _job _this time, make yourself useful," he grunted, switching on his laptop again as she left.

* * *

><p>Victoria ran a hand through her messy hair as she walked through the city, glancing into the windows of stores to see if they were advertising jobs. She hadn't found a single one in the last five blocks.<p>

A part of her wanted to find out where that Conrad Grayson worked, but she knew it was a bad idea. She had made a bad impression on him a few hours ago, and didn't want to panic in front of him again.

As she turned the corner, she was so lost in thought that she didn't look where she was going until she bumped into a man.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she exclaimed, bending down to help him pick up the scattered contents of his briefcase.

"It's fine," he grunted, and he sounded annoyed, refusing to look up at her.

"Is there anything I could do..." she began, then realized it was pointless, she hadn't done much damage.

"No, it's fine, I just needed those papers for..." he looked up and the tone of his voice changed instantly upon seeing her. "For nothing of importance. It's absolutely fine."

His French accent was now pleasant instead of angry, and he wore a smile on his face as he held out his hand. "Pascal Lemarchal. And you?"

"Victoria Harper," she told him, shaking his hand curtly. She had to focus on her search for a job, not stop and chat with random men.

"Well, I'm sorry for bumping into you," he apologized, acting like it was his fault.

"No, no, it's my fault," she argued, shoving her hands in her pockets. "I'm sorry. I really should get going..."

"Oh, you work around here?" He mentioned casually, eyeing her up and down discreetly.

"No, I was out looking for a job," she admitted absentmindedly. "Excuse me."

She stepped past him quickly, but he stopped her. "You need a job?"

Victoria nodded quietly.

"I think you bumped into the right guy," he said with a smile. "My company just happens to be hiring."

Now Victoria decided she could possibly spend some time talking with this man, if it meant a job. "Oh? And what company is that?"

"Lemarchal Media," he announced, leading her down the street to a large building. "We have an opening as a janitor, secretary or personal assistant."

"Which one pays more?" Victoria asked bluntly as they stepped inside. The building was huge.

"Well, I'd say either a secretary or assistant. Assistants, however, get raises and bonuses when secretaries don't. But they could also get their wages lowered easier," he answered, gently leading her to an elevator.

"Hmm," she hummed. "Where should I apply?"

"For a secretary, you'll have to talk to one of the managers. To be an assistant? You're hired."

She frowned, turning towards him as the elevator doors opened. "Hired?"

"Well I am the CEO," he explained. "You'd be working for me. I could choose to hire you."

"You'd do that? Just like that?" She wondered as they entered his office.

He nodded, closing the door. "You need a job. I need an employee. Are you fast? Can you get me things quickly?"

She shook her head in agreement.

"Can you organize appointments? Answer phone calls? Talk to investors?"

Again Victoria nodded.

"You're hired," he told her. "Can you start today?"

Her eyes widened at her luck, and she nodded. "S-sure... What should I do?"

"Well," he began, leading her to the first room in his office, "This is your mini-office. Where all the clients will check in before they go into my office."

"Okay..." she trailed off, trying to memorize every detail. She had her own desk, and there was a laptop sitting on it already. A basket of muffins and a coffeepot sat on a table by the door, and her stomach growled.

"My office is right through here," he explained, motioning to a pair of double doors in the room. "I'll page you when I need something."

She nodded. "What should I do in the meantime?"

"Organize my calendar, schedule my appointments, answer my phone calls. You'll be busy enough," he laughed. "You can get started whenever you'd like."

"Okay," Victoria replied, smiling. "Thank you so much, Mr. Lemarchal."

He nodded his head with a smile. "Thank _you. _Welcome to the office."

And with that, he disappeared behind the double doors.

* * *

><p>Victoria came home four hours later, exhausted. She sat down next to James on their only couch, bringing her knees up to her chest and tapping his shoulder. "Guess what?"<p>

"What?" James asked grouchily, opening his eyes.

She sighed, wishing he'd be a little more supportive. She had finally pleased him, after all. "I got a job. A nice one, too."

At this, James brightened up. "You did? What is it?"

"I'm Lemarchal Media CEO's personal assistant," she explained, excited. "It's a wonderful job! I don't have to do much and it pays nicely. And they offer complimentary snacks for the employees everyday."

"Did you grab some for me?" James rudely cut in, holding out his hand.

Victoria sighed, and dropped a muffin into his hand. "Yes. But isn't that great? I started today."

"That's good," James decided as he snacked on his food. "You're finally getting your act together."

She grinned, even his sour mood couldn't stop her from being a little happy. She sat up on the balls of her feet and leaned forward, resting her arms on his shoulders and tenderly kissing his cheek.

He frowned and pushed her away. "Go clean up."

Victoria sat back slowly, disappointment crossing her face. "O-okay."

And she got up to begin another miserable night.

* * *

><p><strong>So I've added Pascal to the story. He was a part of her life before being a Grayson, lol. And now she's working for him! Let's see how Conrad likes that in the next chapter... maybe he'll find a way to change Victoria's mind on Pascal. Thanks for reading and please review! <strong>


	3. Chapter 3

Two days later, it was a Friday evening and Victoria had just cashed her first paycheck. She had been shocked at the amount of money her boss had graciously gave her, although she didn't realize his motives for it. She decided to keep half of it in savings for an apartment or house, and use the other half for food.

She had just ordered a coffee when she turned around and nearly crashed into Conrad.

"Hey," he laughed, dabbing at the tiny coffee stain on his chest.

"Sorry," she apologized, wiping off the lid of her coffee, thankful that it hadn't spilled much. "I've been pretty clumsy these days."

Conrad frowned when he realized what exactly she'd spilled on him. "You bought a coffee?"

She nodded, knowing it must seem odd to him. She'd barely had money for food beforehand and now she was treating herself. "Yes. I got my first paycheck today."

"That's great," he said with a smile. "Where do you work?"

"Lemarchal Media. I'm the CEO's personal assistant," she explained. "I like the job a lot."

"Lemarchal Media? As in Pascal Lemarchal's assistant?" Conrad asked, surprised.

"Exactly."

Shoving his hands in his pockets, Conrad sighed. He knew exactly why Victoria had been hired so quickly and didn't like it one bit. "Oh..."

"You don't sound happy," Victoria noted, starting to walk again.

Conrad jogged up and caught up to her with a sigh. "I'm not... We're rivals, you could say."

"Mm, are you jealous of him?" She teased, nudging his shoulder gently.

"Jealous? No," he scoffed. "Never. We just have a slight competition constantly going on between us, that's all."

Victoria tossed her hair back, laughing. "Oh, so now I'm in the middle of all of your drama."

"You're just adding to the competition," he teased. "In the aspect of you, I'd say I'm winning."

"Oh would you?" She raised her eyebrows, shocked at how confident he seemed.

Conrad nodded. "He's your boss. I'm your friend."

Chuckling, Victoria gazed over at him with amusement in her eyes. "You aren't my _friend._"

"Maybe you shouldn't have had that coffee," Conrad decided, pretending that he wasn't hurt by that comment. "It makes you too energetic..."

She rolled her eyes. "I should go back to starving?"

"I didn't mean it like that," he said quietly as they turned a corner. "You know I didn't."

"I know," she admitted, sighing. "Money's still tight though. It could happen anytime. I don't know whether or not I'll get a bonus next week, and I need to put some money aside for a house..."

"Ah. You live in an apartment?" Conrad asked, although he was guessing she didn't.

Victoria was about to agree and make up some lie, but for some reason she didn't want to lie to him. She wasn't worried about him judging her for who she was. "No. James and I live together in the cellar of an abandoned house, actually. No food, no electricity, no heat...I've been trying to convince him to at least let us live in the actual house but he says we'll get caught."

"You live in a cellar?" Conrad gasped, shocked. He didn't know things were this bad for her.

She nodded, somewhat ashamed, but she was happy she had told him the truth. "You'll be able to see it in a moment. We're almost there anyways."

"We use the stairs to the basement door to get in," she explained. "Then we go through the steps to the cellar. No one has seen us yet and we're hoping to keep it that way."

Conrad nodded, trying to keep a straight face. More than anything he wanted to take her home with him, to give her his life and treat her right. But he knew she would see it as pity, and he could tell she liked fending for herself.

What he didn't know was that if he had asked, Victoria would have gladly accepted. Fending for herself was something she did so often that it would have been nice to take a break. But he hadn't said anything so she didn't have a chance anyways.

"Here it is," she announced, climbing down the outside steps to the basement door. He stood next to her awkwardly, unsure of whether to stay or leave.

"You can come in if you want," she offered, hoping James wouldn't be too angry.

He smiled. "Thank you."

Victoria opened the door and jogged down the steps to the cellar door. She opened that door quietly and set a bag of groceries, which she'd bought with the remains of her paycheck, down on the table. "James! I'm home!"

"You'd better have brought me something to eat," he growled without turning around. "I'm pretty damn hungry and you haven't been doing anything to fix it. Make yourself useful!"

Victoria sighed, wishing he hadn't gone off about that in front of Conrad. She picked up an apple from the bag she'd brought home and walked over to the couch, placing her hands on his shoulders and handing him the apple. "I got my paycheck today. We have some food, but don't eat a lot. It needs to last all week."

James smiled as he took a bite of the apple. "Not so worthless after all, huh?"

"She isn't worthless at all," Conrad cut in angrily, walking over to the couch. "She's been working her ass off while you've been doing God-knows-what."

Frowning, James stood up to face Conrad. "Who the hell are you and what are you doing, telling me how to treat my woman?"

"Someone needs to!" Conrad exclaimed. He hadn't known it was this bad between James and Victoria.

Victoria quickly rushed to Conrad's side, glaring at him. She had hoped he wouldn't have said anything to make trouble, but here they were. "James, this is Conrad Grayson."

James rolled his eyes and threw his hands in the air with a laugh. "Conrad Grayson! Aren't you that rich son of a bitch that runs some Global company?"

"Grayson Global," Conrad replied flatly.

"Well what are you doing here, huh?" James asked, grabbing Victoria's wrist and yanking her over to stand at his side. "When did you meet this one?"

"I met her when she was busy stealing food for you," Conrad snapped. "I was the one to bail her out of it."

James sighed, realizing this man wasn't out for blood. "All right. You seem harmless enough."

"Maybe you should go, Conrad," Victoria begged feebly, her eyes pleading with him to leave before James became angrier.

Conrad watched the change come over Victoria. When he talked to her, she seemed defiant and free. Now she just seemed scared, a scrawny girl standing next to a monster of a man. It pained him to realize this was how Victoria spent her days but he knew better than to stay and stir up trouble. "Thank you for having me, Victoria."

He walked up to James and squared his shoulders, shaking his hand firmly. "James."

James stared at him coldly.

An idea struck Conrad, and he blurted it out before he could stop it. "I'd love to have you both over for dinner tomorrow night."

"That doesn't-" Victoria began, but James cut her off. "Fine."

Conrad nodded curtly, wondering if Victoria would be angry at him for this. "I'll see you both then."

He turned to leave. Part of him wanted to stay and protect her. The other part wished he could've shown some kind of affection towards her, a kiss on the cheek or a quick hug just to show her that someone out there did care about her. But the fact that he was married and she was dating stopped him, as always. The dinner invite might have been a bad idea in hindsight, but at least now Victoria would eat for sure. And he could see just how James really treated her. From what he'd seen already, it wasn't very good.

* * *

><p>"When'd you meet this guy?" James demanded to know, his voice loud and angry.<p>

Victoria flinched, taking a step away from him. "I-I just ran into him a week ago..."

"Did you even really get a job?" He shouted furiously. "Or were you just screwing him for all that money?"

"I haven't been screwing anyone!" She tried to convince him shyly. "Yes I have a job. Don't overreact, we're just friends-"

She felt his hand strike her across the face, and she stepped back swiftly, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Don't tell me what to do," James ordered, unclenching his fists. "You won't see him again after this dinner we're going to. You hear me?"

She nodded quietly, rubbing the side of her face tentatively. At least it hadn't been as bad as some of the other times.

"Good," he growled, noticing how she had backed up from him. "Get back here."

"No," she said quietly. Defying him was a risky thing to do but she knew there was some good in him... maybe he'd understand... wouldn't he?

His face twisted into an angry look. "What?"

"You're going to hurt me again..." she trailed off, trying to forget about the throbbing pain on her temple.

"I'll hurt you if you don't come here," he sneered, reaching his arm out.

Victoria tried to push the bad thoughts she held of James out of her mind and slowly approached him again.

"You aren't going to see him again," he stated, looking her in the eyes. "At that dinner you will sit quietly and look at the table and eat everything you're given and say _nothing_. If he asks you a question you will reply with yes or no. If he tries to hug you or kiss your cheek or hold your hand or touch you in _any _way, you will stand still until he stops. Do you understand?"

"That's rude..." she lamented, hoping to calm him down. "I can handle myself, okay?"

"Are you telling me what to do again?" He growled, his hand clenching into a fist again.

"No!" Victoria piped up, her voice a little shaky. "I'm just suggesting..."

"Leave it to me," he replied coldly. "Go to sleep or clean up. I don't want to hear another word out of you about Conrad Grayson."

Wordlessly she nodded, turning away from him to try and control her tears. Her face hurt unimaginably and now she couldn't even see the only man she thought could actually _save _her. She hesitantly glanced in the dusty mirror, brushing her hair back. Sure enough, there was a purple bruise forming on her right cheek.

She sighed and turned back to the room, deciding to get some work done. If they had to attend that dinner tomorrow she needed to mend her and James's clothing; and try and find some outfits for work that weren't completely worn out. With thoughts of Conrad drifting through her mind, she headed off to her makeshift closet.

* * *

><p>"Where were you after work today? I called three times," Stevie complained as she brushed her hair, glancing at Conrad as he pulled on a pajama shirt.<p>

"I walked an old friend home," Conrad partially lied, turning back to his wife. "I invited them over for dinner tomorrow."

"Them?"

Conrad nodded. "Her and her boyfriend."

"Is this that girl that you paid for at the farmer's market?" Stevie asked suspiciously. "Why are you so obsessed with her?"

"I'm not obsessed, she interests me," Conrad explained. "I felt bad for her."

"Let her boyfriend take care of her," she retorted. "I don't want them over here."

"She already accepted the invitation," he shot back. "Tomorrow night."

"I may or may not be there," Stevie argued, trying to make him reconsider his thinking.

It didn't faze him one bit. "All the better," he teased, running his fingers through his hair with a smirk. _Just imagine if James didn't show. I'd have dinner with her alone. __  
><em>

When his phone rang, Conrad sprinted outside to answer it. He didn't like taking private calls around his nosy wife.

"Conrad Grayson."

"_Conrad? It's Victoria."  
><em>

He frowned, surprised. "How did you get this number?"

She nervously laughed over the phone. "It's on every billboard in a five mile radius. Your name seems to be very popular."

Chuckling in agreement, Conrad closed the door behind him, hoping to get more privacy. "Why are you calling so late? Not that I mind, of course. Is everything okay?"

'_What the hell are you using the phone for? Every minute costs money!' _Conrad heard James yell over the speakers. _'__It's a work call," _Victoria shot back before returning to her conversation with Conrad. "Sorry. I was just calling to let you know I won't be able to make the dinner tomorrow."

"Why not?" He asked, disappointed. "Tell me the truth. Is it James?"

"I just don't think it's a good idea..." she trailed off. "He's angry."

"Come over here."

"What?" Victoria pondered, confused. Was he inviting her over?

"Make an excuse, I don't care. Come over here right now," Conrad demanded.

She thought about saying yes, but knew it would be too risky. "No... I can't. I'm sorry."

"You're coming tomorrow then," he ordered. "No buts about that."

She tried to protest but he hung up, so she set the phone down with a smile. There was something about that man... something she liked a lot. Maybe a little too much.

Something she was sure he didn't see in her, even though she knew she wished he would see something in her too.

* * *

><p><strong>Wow, I've actually been quick with updates, lol. So now Conrad's getting protective over Victoria, since James is showing his worse side. Next chapter should be fun to write! Thanks for reading and please review :)<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

Victoria sat sullenly in front of the dirty mirror, running a brush through the same strand of hair over and over again. She didn't want to go tonight. She couldn't bear letting Conrad see how James acted.

"Get ready. You're going whether you want to or not," James demanded rudely. "He's your _friend_, anyways."

"Please, can we just stay home?" Victoria begged, getting up to find some clothes. "You don't like him anyways."

"All the more reason I should see where he lives and what he's up to," James fired back, zipping up one of the only dresses Victoria owned when she turned her back to him. "Not that it will be a problem anyways, since you won't be talking to him."

"You made that clear enough last night," she mumbled.

"What?"

Victoria thought about taking it back, but instead she turned to face him once again. "I said you made that clear enough last night!"

She glared at him defiantly, moving to her small collection of old makeup. "I don't even know if I can cover up the bruise, since it's this large."

Desperately, Victoria dabbed liquid foundation over her face, noticing it didn't do much, if anything, to conceal her bruise. Putting on powder and blush didn't help either, and she sighed in defeat.

"Put your hair in front of it," James grumbled, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious after seeing the bruise. "If you can."

"I'll try," she muttered again, fixing her hair slowly. "We really should get going if we do have to go. I don't like being late."

"Then let's start walking now," he answered promptly. "Come on."

* * *

><p>"I told you the bus would be faster," Victoria gloated as they approached the front door of the cozy two-story house where Conrad lived.<p>

"It's also more expensive," he grumbled. "We're still low on food and you take the bus?!"

She decided to not reply this time, and nervously rang the doorbell. When she heard footsteps approach, she suddenly panicked, wanting everything about them to be perfect. Frantically she grabbed James's hand and slid it around her shoulders, making sure there was a smile on his face. On the outside she hoped they looked like a happy couple.

"Victoria, James, so glad you could make it," Conrad greeted them as he opened the door. "Victoria you look nice."

She felt a little giddy whenever he gave her compliments, but this time all she could think of was how angry James might be over every little thing. "Thank you," she replied simply.

"Oh, these are your... friends?"

Stevie Grayson entered the dining room, looking more dolled up than ever. Conrad seemed reluctant to place a kiss on her cheek, and Victoria couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy in her heart. She didn't like remembering that he was married.

"Yes. I believe you've seen Victoria before," Conrad reminded her. "Victoria, James, this is my wife Stevie."

"It's nice to meet you," Victoria said politely, shaking her hand after James did the same with a grunt. "You have a lovely home."

"Oh, this old thing?" Stevie joked, but was somehow able to make the joke seem intimidating. "You're _too _kind. Why don't we all go into the dining room and start on dinner?"

"That's the reason we're here," James bluntly cut in, grabbing Victoria's wrist in an attempt to force her to agree with him. Victoria opened her mouth to try and apologize for his behavior, but shut it helplessly when she realized it would only make things worse.

James followed Stevie into the dining room, but Victoria hung back, hoping to catch a moment with Conrad. He noticed and stayed back too, waiting for her.

"I'm sorry about-" she started, about to apologize for her boyfriend's behavior. He cut her off mid-sentence. "Victoria, let me see your face."

Victoria was confused at first, then she realized what he was implicating. Had she moved her hair enough to see the bruise?

Gently she pulled her hair back, closing her eyes shamefully as Conrad tentatively traced it with his finger.

"Did James do this?" Conrad asked quietly, retracting his hand.

Knowing it was no use lying to him, Victoria nodded her head. "He doesn't like you, Conrad. He said I'm not allowed to speak with you after this dinner. I cant' be anywhere near you."

"Victoria-" he began, but this time it was her who cut him off.

"No, I really can't," she pleaded. "He-he's with me more often then you are, there's no one to protect me if he gets angry again! I just have to listen, I'm sorry."

In this moment, Conrad gazed down into this girl's deep brown eyes, glassy with frustrated tears, and realized how much she needed help. She was broken and she was only a teenager, depending on her abusive boyfriend and obeying him without a second thought. He hated it but he knew how fragile she was, and that she obeyed James in fear of getting further broken.

"You need to end things with James," he ordered, his overprotective side kicking in. "He isn't good for you."

"Sometimes he's nice," she tried to convince him. "I mean-"

"Dinner's ready, Conrad," Stevie nearly hissed from the hallway, angry that he was ignoring her to talk to his guest. "Why don't you both come sit down?"

Victoria nodded quietly and fell into step next to Conrad, enjoying the affectionate pat he gave to her shoulder before they split ways to sit next to their spouses.

James didn't even bother trying to make small talk, he only ate bite after bite of the tender meat offered. Victoria was ashamed of his actions, but knew there was nothing she could do about it.

Stevie had been thinking all afternoon about this 'Victoria Harper'. She was all Conrad talked about anymore, and now that she finally got to meet the legendary girl, she could see why. Victoria was pretty, very pretty. Her features were dark and contrasting with her pale skin. Yes she was thin, almost underweight, but she still had some curves which Stevie hated, knowing they'd grabbed Conrad's attention.

What she had noticed was that Victoria seemed weak and helpless whenever the situation involved her boyfriend. Stevie wasn't sure exactly what went on between them but she knew the best way to keep Conrad all to herself was to eliminate the competition. Meaning Victoria. And she decided that through James, it could possibly be done.

"So Victoria, how long have you and James been together?" Stevie asked casually, slicing her meat.

"About three years," Victoria hesitantly replied, immediately feeling uncomfortable.

"Oh? Any plans of marriage in the future?" Stevie teased, hoping to hit a sensitive spot and get this girl out of her house.

"You'd have to ask him," she replied quietly again. She always felt awkward discussing her relationship with James.

"We're getting married," James blandly answered, swallowing a bite of food. "I haven't asked yet or nothin', but who else is she gonna get? It's kinda like an unspoken agreement."

Victoria's face fell into a worried expression, one that she desperately tried to wipe off her face. She had never considered marrying James before but he acted as if they were already engaged. She'd never considered leaving him either. But still, she didn't want to marry him!

"What does that mean, 'who else is she gonna get'?" Conrad cut in, and his voice sounded harsh. "Because in reality she could do a lot better than you."

"You got a problem?" James asked defensively, standing up from his chair.

Conrad remained seated, always trying to portray the appearance of a gentleman. "Maybe. Do you?"

"We're going," James sneered, pulling Victoria up by her wrist. She winced and hopped up from her chair.

"I said, we're going!" James repeated to Victoria, who was torn on what do to do.

"I'll meet you outside," she stuttered. "I need to find my purse."

James couldn't care less about what she was doing, he wanted to go.

"Do you have a ride?" Conrad asked James and Victoria, still trying to be somewhat nice.

"You know what, no," Victoria admitted.

"Well James, why don't you take one of my cars out for a test drive, see if you like it. You and Victoria can drive it home if you'd like, I'd just come by and pick it up sometime later in the week," Conrad decided, tossing a pair of keys to James.

James was still angry at the rich man, but he couldn't resist a nice car. He mumbled some complaint and headed to the door, yelling at Victoria to be out waiting in five minutes.

"I should go find my purse," she suggested, heading down the hallway with burning cheeks. Conrad quickly followed, surprised when she lead him into the bathroom and closed the door.

"Thank you for getting rid of him," she said nervously, sighing and resting back against the door. "I don't think I can do it anymore."

"Put up with him? I couldn't either," Conrad scoffed, running a hand through his dark hair. "I wish you'd leave him."

"I can't," she mumbled. "I'd have no one then."

"You'd still have me," Conrad reminded her. "And _Pascal._"

"I don't really have either of you," Victoria added, not mentioning the way he criticized her boss's name. "We barely see each other..."

"You're always with James."

"I know," she sighed, exhausted. She looked into his deep blue eyes and saw nothing but kindness and warmth. James didn't make her feel the way Conrad could, _damn,_ why did he have to be married?

She took a chance, and stepped forward, into his arms. She didn't know if it was the lack of sleep, the lack of food or the lack of common sense but she wanted to feel his arms around her, because they felt right together.

Conrad was surprised, but he held her close, not too close though. He wanted to give her some space in case she reconsidered the affection she was showing him.

Victoria withdrew slowly, feeling courageous and brave for some strange reason. She needed him, not James. It was all so clear now.

Without a second thought, Victoria leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed him firmly. She was ready for rejection. Of course he was married, of course he would say no to a girl like her. But you couldn't blame a girl for trying, at least not on a man like that.

She pulled away and looked him in the eyes openly, with nothing else to say. She was ready to leave, but if she could never see him again anyways at least she'd have gotten something to remember.

But Conrad didn't reject her.

He pulled her in for another kiss, this one more passionate than the last. Victoria's mind swirled, she hadn't expected to get this far, she didn't know what to do next.

Fortunately for her, Conrad took the lead as he closed and locked the bathroom door.

* * *

><p>"Where the hell are you, Victoria?" James yelled with Stevie by his side. "I've been waiting for twenty damn minutes!"<p>

Victoria gathered her clothes from the bathroom floor quickly, and started redressing as Conrad did the same. "How do we explain this to them?" She whimpered, letting him help zip up her dress.

"We don't," he decided, re buckling his belt. "You tripped and hit your head when we were looking for your purse. I took you in the bathroom and we looked at it to make sure everything was fine. And everything is."

"Okay," she sighed, happy that he was a quick thinker. She moved to open the door but he stopped her. "When will I see you again?"

She shrugged, fear in her eyes. "I don't know. I wasn't expecting this to happen, I didn't think it through."

Conrad thought for a moment, then rummaged through a box in the bathroom, retrieving a phone. "This was our emergency phone, Stevie made me get it. It has my number programmed on it. Call me when you can, okay?"

He handed the phone to her and she accepted it, slipping it in her purse. "Thank you Conrad."

She fixed a loose strand of hair and opened the door. "James?"

James walked down the hallway, thankful he'd found Victoria. "What were you doing, huh?"

"I hit my head," she lied, pretending to be in pain. "Conrad was making sure I didn't have a concussion. I don't."

James grabbed her arm and pulled her with him. "We're going home. Come on."

Victoria nodded quietly, and Conrad watched her fall back into the obedient weak girl she became around James. He despised seeing her that way.

Right before she slipped out the door, he held her back, so James wouldn't see them. Conrad gave her a quick, sweet kiss on the lips before letting her go again.

She couldn't stop the smile that spread over her whole face as she scurried away. Maybe going to that dinner hadn't been such a bad idea after all.


	5. Chapter 5

**So I'd like to start this chapter saying that the idea for the chapter (and a good amount of future chapters ahead ) was completely inspired by the wonderful little-borgia! If you haven't checked out her stories, I would suggest doing that right away. **

* * *

><p>During the car ride home, James had been utterly silent. He hadn't spoken a word to Victoria, but she didn't mind at all. All she could think about was Conrad.<p>

She had enjoyed everything about that night. He was charming and tender, yet alluring and dangerous at the same time. Smiling, she traced a finger over her lips in the moonlight. Things had certainly took a turn in her favor.

The only thing concerning her was James. If he found out... oh, it would be hell on earth for her. Assuming the worst was something Victoria did often, and she did it again, deciding that if James found out, she could expect every horrible thing she'd ever endured times ten. Silently, she promised herself to keep her affair secret.

James didn't say a word to her until they reached their makeshift home. Once inside, he finally spoke.

"So how do you like that guy?"

"He's nice," Victoria replied hesitantly. Strangely, James didn't sound mad.

"What did you think of their house?" James asked again, moving closer to her slowly.

Victoria forced herself to resist the urge to back away, and stood her ground. "It was nice. He's wealthy."

"Yeah, he's stinking rich," James agreed. "Which is why you're going to do something for me."

"What do you want?" Victoria asked weakly, hoping it wouldn't be anything dangerous this time.

"I saw how much time he spends with you, compared to his wife," James started. "I saw him staring at your ass when you got up to get a drink. I also saw that they have money to blow."

"What's your point?" She tried to keep her voice from quivering. Had he discovered their affair?

James smirked and moved in closer to her. "You're going to put those good looks to use, for me. I want you to sleep with him."

"You want me to sleep with him?" Victoria stammered, utterly shocked. Was she dreaming? "James..."

"Sleep with him, and get his money," James ordered. "He looks like a man who'd be able to afford it. He'll pay you good if you do a good job, which you better. We save the money you get from him and spend your paychecks, and we'll be living a nice life."

"James-"

"I wasn't asking!" He growled. "You're going to do it."

"Fine," she mumbled, trying to hide her excitement. James was _asking _her to sleep with the man she was already sleeping with?

"Good," he sneered, sitting down. "You can start tomorrow."

Victoria nodded in agreement and quietly retreated to the bathroom, concealing her excitement as she pulled out the phone Conrad had given her.

* * *

><p>"You called him?" James asked, trifling through Victoria's small pile clothes and selecting a few outfits. "When are you meeting him?"<p>

"Today," she reminded him. "He's picking me up in ten minutes! Hurry!"

She had asked James to find an outfit he thought she looked sexiest in. If she wanted money for James, and Conrad for herself, she had to look good.

James finally threw a set of underwear and an outfit out for her. "Here. You got everything else finished?"

"Yeah," she muttered, upset with what he'd picked out for her. "I don't know about that-"

"Wear it," he demanded. "You look good in it."

"James, it's not a good outfit," she tried to explain but he wouldn't hear it. He forced her into the sexy underwear set, the only one she owned, and made her pull up the tight, short skirt.

She sighed as she pulled a shirt on over it, exasperated at how he was trying to make her look like a slut. She didn't know what kind of look Conrad liked yet and didn't want to take it too far.

"You look great. Now go and put it to use," James ordered, pushing her towards the door. Victoria slipped her heels on and scurried out the door.

* * *

><p>Conrad was waiting outside the old house when Victoria came out, smiling at him. His first thoughts were that she looked pretty damn sexy. He put his arm around her confidently and helped her into his flashy red car.<p>

"You look good," he admired, starting up the engine.

"I think it's too much," she muttered, pulling her skirt down a little.

"Then why'd you wear it? Not like I'm complaining, of course," he teased.

"That's the thing..." she bit her lip timidly. "It's about James."

Conrad tensed, the name of the man sending chills up his spine. "What did he do?" He asked quietly.

"Nothing I haven't done before," she chuckled hesitantly. "He... he saw that you were rich, and-"

"Did he hurt you?"

"No. Let me continue. He said we needed more money," she began, taking a deep breath. "Conrad... he wants me to sleep with you for money."

To her surprise, Conrad wasn't angry or shocked. Instead he seemed amused.

"Well how much do you want?" He asked simply, grinning.

"That's it?" Victoria wondered in shock. "You're just going to agree with me?"

"Yeah," he nodded, the smile never fading. "Why? You expect something else?"

"No, I just didn't think you'd want to pay me," she explained, stuttering over simple words.

"Of course I'd pay you," Conrad said playfully, smiling genuinely at her. "I'd pay anything for you. How much do you want?"

"You're serious?" She asked again. She wanted to be sure he wasn't lying to her.

Conrad sighed and reached into his wallet as he drove. He fumbled for a moment before finding a few hundred-dollar bills, and pulling them out, pushing them on her lap. "Does this answer your question?"

Victoria counted three hundred-dollar bills and gulped. "Uh, yes."

He chuckled. "That's for last night. There's more where that came from."

Victoria smiled. "Thank you. Things are going to be a lot better with James from now on."

"Yeah, I was meaning to ask you about that a little more," Conrad revealed tentatively. "How... how did you guys meet?"

"We met in high school at a party," she revealed. "I was 16, he was 18. He was nice at first."

"James doesn't seem very nice now," Conrad muttered. It was no secret that he despised the man.

"Well believe me or not, he was," she argued. "My money ran out, and I moved in with him."

"Did your parents like that?" Conrad chuckled, but when he saw her face pale and her eyes look away, he realized something was wrong. "I'm sorry... is that not a good subject?"

"It's a story for another time," Victoria mumbled quietly, trying to postpone the examination of her awful past. Conrad didn't need to know what she had endured.

Since they had only met a few weeks ago, Conrad decided it was best not to push her any farther. "Okay," he replied simply. "You were saying?"

"Right. Well, I moved in with him. I was completely broke, and we were relying on his income for a while. We'd go out a lot more than we should have. The night that really turned things around was about a year ago," she revealed, fiddling with her hands awkwardly while she tried to remember her story. "We were at a casino. He'd been playing poker for at least an hour, and then it happened. We hit it big."

"How much?" Conrad asked, becoming sidetracked. He'd been known for his love of poker as well.

"Oh, it was a pretty good amount. Around $200,000, I think," Victoria recalled. "We were elated because he had just lost his job and now we had funds."

"So why was that bad?" Conrad wondered.

He saw the paleness return to Victoria's cheeks, and wondered what had been so bad about money. Her next words answered his questions.

"We took the money and left the casino..." she trailed off, remembering the night's events. "Both of us were drunk. Drunk enough so we didn't notice these three men coming up behind us. They had seen us celebrating about all the money we'd won. James had put it in a briefcase...I was holding it at the time."

"Two of the men grabbed me and I started screaming for help. James pulled out a gun and shot one of them, right in the chest."

Conrad's eyes grew large. This man was dangerous.

"He was in prison for a while," Victoria remembered. "A lawyer friend of mine promised to get him out. Somehow he made up a story about a struggle over the gun, and a shooting in self defense. They let James out after a month. But when he came home he was different. Prison had changed him, he was borderline insane. And he blamed the whole thing on me."

"It couldn't have been your fault-" Conrad started, but Victoria quieted him. "He said that it was all my fault. For a few days he wouldn't look at me. Eventually he talked to me again but it wasn't kindly. That was when I discovered his violent tendencies."

"Why didn't you move out then?"

Victoria sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I wish I would've. I thought he'd grow out of it. He never did. I just learned that if I obeyed him and didn't do anything he disliked, he would treat me better. Eventually he stopped blaming me but he'd have violent outbursts once in a while when we were out of food for days," she recalled sadly. "Now I've learned to put up with it. If he hits me, I just have to stay quiet and let him calm down. Fighting back won't do anything."

"Why don't you move out now?" He pleaded, hating the realization that James had actually injured her, this precious fragile woman. "You need to."

"I can't," she admitted. "I don't have the money. But once I do... I don't know. I'm scared to leave him."

Conrad was silent. He didn't realize how awful things had been for her and didn't know what to say. She was emotionally damaged.

"Where are we going?" Victoria asked, trying to break the silence and lighten the mood.

"I rented a hotel room," Conrad admitted with a grin, trying to put James out of his mind. "Didn't want my wife catching us."

Victoria grinned, but tensed a little when she heard Stevie's name. "She didn't like me, did she?"

Conrad shook his head as he helped Victoria out of the car and into the hotel. "No, I don't believe so. She thought of you as a threat."

"Good," Victoria scoffed, skipping up the stairs next to him. "She's smart then."

Conrad chuckled and led her into the room.

* * *

><p>"Just let it ring," Victoria begged, as Conrad's cell phone rang for the third time that evening.<p>

"It's probably Stevie," he panted. "I should get it."

"Conrad..." she pleaded, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Just ignore it."

Of course, right when he'd finally got the girl into bed, someone would call him. Conrad rolled his eyes.

He ignored the ringtone and kissed Victoria again, enjoying her ragged breaths that he could finally hear now that the phone had stopped ringing. But to his misfortune, the phone rang a fourth time.

"Vicky..." he groaned, brushing a light kiss to her lips.

"Don't," Victoria warned breathlessly, holding him tightly against her.

But he had already slipped out of her grasp and reached his phone, answering the call. Victoria frowned and tugged the sheets around her angrily.

"_Where are you?" _The irritated female voice on the other end demanded to know.

"Honey, I'm at the South Fork," Conrad explained, shooting an apologetic glance at his young mistress. "Another investor's meeting."

"_Sure you are, just like always," _Stevie complained. "_It's 6:30!"__  
><em>

"I can't just cut it short," he lied. "I'll be home soon."

"_You better be._"

Conrad sighed and hung up, grabbing his jeans. He slid them on and crawled onto the bed, sitting next to Victoria. "I'm sorry, Vic."

"Can't you put her off a little longer?" Victoria pleaded, letting him wrap an arm around her shoulders. "Please?"

"No, I can't," he apologized. "I don't want her finding out."

Victoria frowned and got up, beginning to search for her clothes. "You can't have an investor's lunch every day."

"Yes, but I can have extra paperwork, client meetings, dinner with friends and drinks with coworkers," Conrad explained with a grin as he watched her redress. "What does your schedule look like? What time would work tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow is Monday, I have to work," she reminded him. "Maybe afterwards, I'm sure James will want me to go."

"Work, with Pascal," Conrad brought up again as he opened the door for her, leading her down the hallway.

"What's so bad about him?" Victoria asked. She never really understood why Conrad became so jealous when her boss was concerned.

He laughed. "Stop playing dumb, Victoria. You know why."

"Conrad, I really don't!" She exclaimed. "Why don't you like him? Besides that petty competition thing."

After opening the car door for Victoria, Conrad slid into the driver's seat. He started the engine as he answered her question. "Because he must like you. If he gave you a job that pays a huge amount for little work, just talking to him, he likes you."

"He doesn't like me," she scoffed, gazing out the window absentmindedly. "You're a little overprotective. And you're the married one..."

"...Who's choosing to be with you right now instead of my wife," Conrad reminded her.

"You took her call though," Victoria brought up casually. She couldn't deny that she felt rejected there.

Conrad sighed as he pulled up to her 'house'. "Yes, because-"

His phone rang again, cutting him off. Victoria raised her eyebrows and sat back in her seat, waiting to see what his choice would be.

Conrad sighed and picked up the phone, answering it reluctantly. "Hello dear."

He yanked a few more bills out of his wallet and handed them to Victoria as he listened. She considered waiting for him to end the call, but why? She wasn't his wife. Stevie was.

Victoria swiftly slipped out of the car, cheeks burning. She looked back at him glumly as he tried to answer his angry wife's questions. He didn't even give her a second glance, or say goodbye, because he was so caught up in the phone call.

She miserably turned around again and walked quickly back to the abandoned house. She'd never felt like the other woman before, but she was certainly feeling it now.


	6. Chapter 6

"Victoria, wake up. Wake up!" James shouted, eyeing the exhausted police man as he stooped over to his sleeping girlfriend.

Victoria groggily rolled over and sat up, yawning. "What do you need?"

"The police are here," he growled through gritted teeth. "Get up."

Alarmed, Victoria jumped up, next to James. The cold air hit her bare stomach and she silently cursed herself for only wearing a sports bra to bed that night.

"Ma'm, your husband has been reluctant to tell us what you're doing here. Would you care to explain?" Officer Mike suggested, scribbling something down on a notepad.

Victoria blanked on a response, not sure if the truth would help or hurt in this situation. Finally she spoke, slowly and deliberately.

"I'm so sorry, it's just... we've been going through a really hard time, and with my husband getting fired and the baby coming... we didn't have anywhere to go," she sniffled, discreetly wiping her eyes like she had been crying. "I didn't know what to do."

The officer looked sympathetic for a moment, although his gaze was more focused on her bare skin than her acting. "Calm down, ma'm. I just need you to answer a few questions. How long have you been staying here?"

"A week," Victoria lied, caressing her stomach. She hoped the officer wouldn't notice that there was no sign of a pregnancy bump there.

"Have you started any fires or used any drugs in this space?" Mike asked, pulling out a walkie talkie.

Both shook their heads. "No," Victoria piped up. "All we've done is sleep."

The policeman looked like he was suspicious, but eventually decided to let it go. "All right. Get out of here. And don't be coming back, either."

"Just let us get our things," Victoria begged, picking up a bag and hurriedly shoving some clothing in it. James did the same.

The officer waited for them to each fill a bag, then deliberately put his hands on Victoria, forcing her to stand up. "Come on, hurry it up."

Victoria trembled under his cold grasp and instinctively flinched away, moving next to James. They both lowered their heads as they climbed out of the cellar.

* * *

><p>"This is all your damn fault!" James shouted at her as Victoria walked miserably alongside him. "Having all these men pull up here in flashy cars? That's what got their attention! Now we're homeless!"<p>

"James, I was just trying to make you happy!" She explained desperately, rubbing her shoulders. She was freezing in the cold night air, and it was only 2 am. They were walking the empty streets of the city. "I didn't know the cops would come!"

James grabbed her arm roughly, forcing her down the streets of a dark alley. "Well you should've thought about that!" He hissed, tightening his grip enough to make her wince in pain. "I don't know where to go now so we're staying here."

Victoria plopped down on the dirty pavement with a groan of despair. She didn't like this at all. The city at night was one of her biggest fears after everything she'd been through in her past. The nighttime was when the monsters came out.

"I hope you don't mind the dark," James grunted angrily as he laid his head back on his bag of belongings. "Or the cold."

"Since I'm not wearing barely any clothes, I do," Victoria snapped, sick of being pushed around when she'd done nothing wrong. "And you know I don't like the dark."

"You don't get a choice!" James shouted, obviously angrier than ever. "You got us here!"

"No I didn't!" She argued back, surprised at her courage. "I did everything I could to get us out of the dump we were in. But you made it worse when you started whoring me out to every rich man on the block! This is your fault James!"

James's face twisted into a sneer and he shot his hand out, striking her across the face. She felt tears sting her eyes, but he didn't give her time to retaliate. He brought his hand to her neck and squeezed tightly, refusing to let her breath. She struggled underneath him, terrified. He could kill her.

"This is not my fault," he growled, tightening his grip. "It's yours. You're nothing but trouble. And you have the nerve to blame it on me?"

He chuckled as Victoria writhed underneath him, the lack of air making her dizzy. "We need to fix some things in our relationship. You're being a little too rebellious. You're going to stop that, right?"

Victoria nodded, hoping he would take pity on her.

When she began to black out, he released her neck and slapped her again, then sat back. "Don't talk to me like that ever again."

She stayed silent, gasping for breath and rubbing her throat gingerly. No doubt it would leave a bruise.

James made himself comfortable on the ground, pulling out the thin blanket; the only one they'd packed. He lay on his side and glared coldly at Victoria as she huddled up into a ball, trying to stay warm in the freezing weather.

She noticed his blanket and reluctantly inched closer, until she was tensely lying next to him. It was still cold but now it wasn't as bad, although laying next to him made her prefer the cold instead.

When he let an arm fall around her waist, she squeezed her eyes shut tightly, the unromantic exchange reminding her of the old days. Angry, frustrated tears silently slipped down her cheeks as she lay on the cold pavement. She couldn't believe she had thought things couldn't get any worse...

* * *

><p>Victoria had woken up late that morning, and panicked when she remembered she had to work. Frantically she had pulled on some clothes in the musty alley, begging James to find them somewhere to stay that was safer than this. She'd gave him all the money they had, telling him to find an apartment.<p>

After that, she had started walking to Lemarchal Media. Unfortunately, she had no idea where she was. After aimlessly walking a few blocks she realized it was pointless and pulled out the cell phone Conrad had gave her, deciding he would be able to help. She was still a little hurt from him calling Stevie during their time together, but figured that her pride wasn't worth losing her job.

* * *

><p>Five minutes later, he pulled up, in the same red car that Victoria liked. She sighed in relief and hopped in quickly. "Hurry up, I'm going to be late."<p>

"You should've called me from the beginning," Conrad reminded her. "You're a half hour from your old 'house'. Why were you all the way over here?"

Realizing that she hadn't told Conrad what happened, Victoria bit her lip. She didn't want him to take pity on her, but she knew she needed to tell him sooner or later. "We got kicked out."

"You _what_?" Conrad exclaimed, clearly alarmed.

"The police came..." Victoria explained shyly, carefully adjusting her hair so it covered most of the bruises on her neck and face. "James thinks they noticed us when they saw your car."

"So he blamed it on me?" Conrad cried, raising an eyebrow.

"No," Victoria muttered, exhaling deeply. "He blamed it on _me_."

"Did he hurt you?" Conrad pressed immediately as he pulled up in front of her work.

"I need to go. Thanks for the ride," Victoria said flatly. Going into the details was not something she wanted to do right now.

"Wait, Vic!" Conrad pleaded, and she turned around with a sigh. "What?"

"Victoria, there you are."

The voice came from behind her, and Victoria whirled around to see Pascal standing a few feet away.

"I'm so sorry I'm late," she apologized quickly, forming a lie. "My car broke down."

"That's fine," Pascal assured her. He leaned to the side to see who she had caught a ride with, and scowled when he realized it was Conrad Grayson.

"Long time no see," Conrad called from the car, grinning from ear to ear. Yes, he hadn't wanted to run into Pascal but to do it when he was giving Victoria a ride was the best time possible.

"I didn't know you knew Victoria," Pascal observed as Conrad climbed out of the car, moving to stand next to Victoria.

"Well, we kind of have a thing," Conrad answered, leaning back against the door of his car.

Victoria gave Conrad a pleading look with her eyes, hoping to prevent tension between her and Pascal. He was the one signing her paychecks.

Conrad ignored it as he stared down Pascal.

"Doesn't seem like a big thing, she never talks about you," Pascal shot back. "Victoria, you should get to work."

"Yeah, I should-" Victoria began, but Conrad cut her off.

"Actually, it's a big thing," he replied confidently, raising his eyebrows. "Have fun at work sweetheart."

It annoyed Victoria how he was treating her like this just so he could show off to Pascal. Last night he had been ignoring her so he could talk to Stevie and now he was acting like they were engaged!

"Thank you," she replied, giving him a hurt look. "Can you give me a ride home?"

He nodded. "I'll meet you out front."

"Let's go," Pascal urged. He didn't like how this situation was playing out.

"Bye," Conrad called, pressing a quick, firm kiss on her lips. He hopped back into the car and started up the engine.

Victoria couldn't suppress the smile that passed over her lips when he kissed her. She hoped he didn't kiss his wife like that, only her.

She murmured a goodbye and turned back to Pascal without saying a word.

* * *

><p>"You never told me you know that Grayson kid," Pascal remarked as they entered Victoria's office.<p>

"I don't, not really," Victoria admitted, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "We met like two weeks ago."

"He made it sound like a lot more than that," Pascal commented casually again. He hated Conrad and it was no secret.

Victoria thought about admitting they were sleeping together but she knew Pascal wouldn't like that. And she needed to keep him happy if she wanted the bonuses.

"It really isn't," she convinced him, sitting down at her desk and browsing through a stack of paperwork. "Do you want to reschedule your meeting with Richard for 1:00 to extend your lunch with John, or keep him at 12:30?"

Pascal tapped his fingers on her desk and sighed. "Extend the lunch. Would you mind joining me in my office for a minute?"

Immediately Victoria assumed something was wrong, and suppressed a miserable sigh. "Of course."

She silently followed him into the office, racking her brain and trying to think of all the things she'd done that could've possibly been to his disliking. But she couldn't find anything besides the fact that she was sleeping with Conrad.

Nervously, she leaned back against his desk as Pascal shut the doors.

"Is there something wrong?" She asked shakily, hoping she wouldn't lose her job.

He shook his head, advancing towards her slowly. "I just wanted to discuss something with you."

She relaxed, her appearance visibly changing with relief. "What is it?"

"Something I've been considering," he began, still moving towards her. "I think you might like it too."

To her surprise, he forced his lips on hers, grabbing her thighs and hoisting her up onto the desk. Victoria's eyes widened, what the _hell_ was he doing?

"Pascal!" She exclaimed, turning her head to the side and trying to slip off the desk. He blocked her escape

"Shh," he commanded and tried to capture her lips again.

"Stop it!" Victoria cried again, batting his hands away from her hips. "Get away from me!"

Pascal bit his lip, looking frustrated. He chuckled darkly and pulled back a few steps, but kept her on the desk. "You realize you're speaking to your boss."

"Exactly. You're my boss, I'm not sleeping with you!" Victoria blurted out, still shocked.

"I sign your paychecks, sweetheart," he laughed. "It'd be in your best interests to please me."

"Not in that way," she muttered, slipping off his desk. "I'm not that sleazy."

"You're sleazy enough to sleep with Conrad Grayson," Pascal fired away. "What's wrong with me?"

"I have a boyfriend," she replied defensively. "That's what's wrong. And you're my _boss_."

"Fine," he retorted, obviously angry at being rejected. "You should know that this will affect your paychecks though."

"You're a son of a bitch," Victoria cried again. "I don't want to sleep with you so you're docking my pay?"

"Yeah, I am," he answered coldly, sitting down at his desk. "Go back to your office, you're dismissed."

Victoria started at him with a mixture of hurt and anger in her eyes before turning around and leaving his office shamefully.

* * *

><p>"Thanks for the ride," Victoria said dryly. It was pointless to even acknowledge Conrad as she climbed into his car. He was in another battle of words with his wife on the phone.<p>

"Honey, I'm still at the office. My meeting ran late and I need to get those files completed too," Conrad bargained, making up lies as he went. He gave Victoria a small smile and held up two fingers, silently promising that it wouldn't be long before he could talk.

She sat quietly as he talked to his wife on the phone, wondering where he was taking her and when he could actually _give _her his attention.

Finally he hung up, sighing. "I'm sorry about that," he apologized, turning his attention to the young girl sitting in the car beside him. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," she lied, not meeting his eyes. No, it wasn't. He was ignoring her, she was scared to go home to her boyfriend and she wouldn't be getting paid well because she refused to have sex with her boss. Things weren't going well at all.

"It doesn't look that way," he noted thoughtfully. "Tell me about it."

"You've got enough problems of your own to deal with, you don't need to hear about mine," she muttered, pulling her jacket tighter around her and slouching down in the seat. To say that she was in a bit of a mood was an understatement. "Just pull over and bang me so I can get home with something to show James."

"I'm not going to screw you and then leave," he explained, exasperated. "You need to talk to me."

"Maybe I don't feel like talking!" She snapped, then realized what a bitch she was being. "I'm sorry...I've had a bad day."

"Yeah," he agreed, letting out a frustrated sigh in agreement. "You want to tell me what happened?"

"You already know I got kicked out," she admitted. "And James has been awful all morning."

"He hurt you-"

"Yes, okay? Yes, he hurt me a little. I'm fine!" She exclaimed. "Then work was a disaster too."

Conrad decided to ignore the James situation for the time being, knowing it would be better that way. "What happened at work?"

"Pascal's a bitch," she sighed, leaning her head against the window. Originally she had planned not to tell Conrad what happened, but he would find out anyways. It was pointless.

"What did he do?" Conrad asked, suddenly a bit more interested in the conversation.

"Well first he practically interrogated me about you," she explained. "Then he calls me into his office. I go in thinking I was in trouble, but he turns around and kisses me like he can do whatever the hell he wants!"

Conrad bit his tongue to keep from yelling reasons that proved he had been right about Pascal. Instead, he just nodded. "What happened then?"

"He basically told me that if I was willing to sleep with him, he'd up my pay. If I didn't, he'd lower my salary. I said no."

"Good!" Conrad burst out. "I can make up for whatever money you're losing."

"You don't have to do that," she sighed. "I don't want you to feel obligated towards me."

"I don't," he promised her. "I just don't want you turning to Pascal."

"Believe me, I wouldn't," she convinced him. "Where are we going now? I should probably get home..."

"You don't have a home," he reminded her. "I don't want you around him when you don't have to be. He'll hurt you, which he _did._"

"It's nothing," she mumbled, glancing out the window nervously. If Conrad's intentions were to have sex, he'd see the bruises for sure. She couldn't let that happen.

Conrad pulled up outside a nice-looking house, helping her out of the car. "I don't believe you," he whispered as he slipped his arm around her with a smile.

"Where are we?" She asked, watching as he knocked on the door.

The door opened before he could answer. An older man wearing a white shirt and a vest held the door open for them, smiling at Conrad. "Hello Mr. Grayson."

Conrad nodded at him in acknowledgement and led Victoria down a hallway, opening the door to a large bedroom. He waited for her to slowly enter before following.

"What is this place?" Victoria repeated, looking around at the fancy decorations. It didn't look lived in.

"When I don't want my wife catching me I go here," he explained simply. "Cheaper than a hotel, and it's long-lasting too."

Victoria smirked. It was so like him to have a special house for his mistresses. "Remind me never to marry you."

The comment stung a little, but he hoped she was joking. Instead of making any more pointless conversation, Conrad spun her around and captured her lips in a kiss.

She didn't object to his tight embrace, and responded to the kiss gently, entangling her hands in his hair. She loved kissing him. He was so much more exciting than James.

Conrad hoisted her up easily, gripping the bottom of her thighs as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Gently but firmly, he pressed her up against the wall, eliciting a small moan of anticipation from Victoria.

He trailed his kisses from her lips to her jaw, then moved lower to deliver a kiss to her neck. That was when he noticed the strange color and swelling on her neck.

Suspiciously he pulled back, brushing her hair away from her neck so he was in full view of the horrific sight. There were finger-shaped bruises scattered all along the sides of Victoria's neck, and he was sure he knew who had inflicted them.

"Victoria!" He shouted angrily, unable to stop the anger from rushing into his veins. "You told me it was fine!"

"It is fine!" She desperately tried to convince him, massaging his shoulders gently. "Forget about it."

"No," he objected, his head clouded with rage. How could someone hurt her like this? Didn't they see how fragile she was? "You can't just let it go! He hurt you!"

"He was just angry about the house and money-" Victoria started, but Conrad cut her off, slowly letting her down from his embrace. "Tell him to forget the money."

"What?" She cried incredulously. Was Conrad no longer interested?

"Yeah. Tell him I don't pay for damaged goods," Conrad retorted firmly. "I'm tired of seeing you hurt."

"What if that only makes him angrier?" She wondered, trembling at the thought of another beating. James really did terrify her.

"It won't, if he has half a brain," Conrad muttered. "I hate letting you go home to him. I want to keep you here."

"I hate leaving you, but you're married," she reminded him sadly, trailing her hand down his chest.

"I know," he answered, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her closer. "Just promise me you'll tell James to stop, for me."

She nodded in agreement and opened her mouth to say something, but he stopped her, pressing a finger to her lips. "Let's not talk now, okay?"

With a smile, she took his hand and kissed him, encouraging him further. He complied without hesitation.

She could think about James and Pascal later. Now she was with Conrad, who wasn't with his wife for once, and she could be free.

Maybe being the other woman wasn't so bad after all.


	7. Chapter 7

After Conrad had dropped Victoria off at the motel room that James had been able to rent, she had thanked him and gave him a quick kiss goodbye. Swiftly she jogged up the stairs, then stopped still outside the door, taking a deep breath. Calm. She had to be calm.

Slowly she reached for the doorknob, turning it quietly. "James? I'm home," she called as she stepped inside.

The room was dark and tiny. James was sitting on the bed, trying to find a television channel that wasn't coming in fuzzy. "Where's the money? I only got us two days at this crappy place."

"I didn't get any," she said coldly. "He didn't like the fact that I had bruises everywhere."

"What?"

"I said he didn't want to sleep with a woman who winced at every touch!" She exclaimed angrily, suddenly becoming furious. After being with Conrad, James didn't seem so terrifying. She had someone to protect her now. "So he didn't give me any money!"

James leapt up furiously, eyes full of rage. "So we're broke again? Until you get your next paycheck?"

"Yes. And don't you even think about laying a finger on me," she warned. "Conrad will notice it again."

He glared at her, his face twisting into a scowl. "You better get a bonus on that paycheck then, you useless woman."

"Actually I won't be getting a large paycheck either. Pascal has decided to lower my wages."

"Why the hell would he do that? Haven't you been doing your job?!" James slammed his fist down on the table, angry that he couldn't take his rage out on his girlfriend.

"He was angry that I wouldn't sleep with him so he cut my pay!" She exclaimed, sighing. "I can't help it."

An idea struck James, and he smiled. "Oh, yes you can. Tomorrow you'll go up to him and you'll apologize for your behavior. You'll offer to sleep with him for whatever price he gives."

"I'm not sleeping with three men!" She cried, her eyes starting to sting with tears. She knew James was practicing self control by refraining from beating her then and there. What she didn't know is how long he could hold out.

"You never let me touch you anyways. It'll only be two," he fired back, standing up to pour himself a drink of the liquor he'd purchased with their only remaining money. "You'll sleep with him and you'll do whatever he wants you to do, I don't care if it hurts or if you don't like it. We need the money."

"James, I can't do this anymore. This isn't what I want, it isn't right!" She begged, discreetly wiping her teary eyes. She hated showing emotion in front of him. "I don't want to be a hooker, you're treating me like a whore and I hate it! I'm not sleeping with Pascal!"

"You don't make the rules around here," he drawled, taking another swig from the bottle. Victoria flinched. When James was drunk, every argument became two times worse. "You'll sleep with whoever I tell you to sleep with."

"I won't. You can't make me. Not if you want money from Conrad." She crossed her arms, defiantly glaring at him.

"Money from Pascal can make up for the cheap amount Conrad pays," James growled. "You'll do what I say. Do you hear me?"

Angrily she leaned back against the wall, her eyes staring daggers into his. "I said no!"

He lashed out and grabbed her by the hair, dragging her down to her knees. He bent over to look her in the eyes, twisting her long hair in his hands. "Like I said. You'll do what I say."

Victoria flailed at him desperately, trying to break free from his grasp. But he overpowered her, and was able to toss her onto the bed, pinning her down to stop her violent swings.

To her horror, she could tell that he was drunk and furious. She knew he wouldn't care what Conrad had said about his violence, and she didn't want to endure the pain she knew was ahead. "I'm sorry James, please don't!"

He stared at her coldly, then the look softened into a gaze of something else. It scared her.

Shockingly he leaned forward and kissed her, his tight grip on her arms loosening a bit. Victoria realized what he had in mind, and felt tears sting her eyes. She didn't love him, she probably never had. But what would the consequences be if she stopped him?

Achingly she forced her lips to respond to his, keeping her eyes shut so she wouldn't have to look him in the eyes. She tried to pretend it was Conrad, but Conrad was never like this with her. She felt something when she was with Conrad.

He didn't even bother unzipping her jeans as he yanked them down. Victoria was sure they ripped in the process but she knew he wouldn't care. Conrad would.

For some reason she couldn't stop thinking about Conrad throughout the whole ordeal. She knew she shouldn't, James was her boyfriend after all and Conrad wasn't. But she couldn't stop it thinking about him.

* * *

><p>"<em>You're going to apologize and ask him to put the offer on the table again."<em>

"I know what to do," Victoria muttered into the phone as she entered her office. "James, I really don't want to do this..."

"_I don't care what you want or don't want! We need this money!"_

"Fine!" She shouted into the phone. "I'll do it once! But never again!"

_"We'll see about that. Good girl."_

The line went dead and Victoria slammed her cell phone down against the table angrily. Not only was the situation embarrassing, it was also disgusting.

Even though second thoughts were plowing through her mind, Victoria slowly knocked on Pascal's door. He yelled for her to come in, and she entered quietly.

"Here to reconsider my offer?" Pascal asked, raising an eyebrow as he filed away a stack of paperwork.

"Actually, yes," she forced herself to say. Painting a smile on her face, she stepped towards him sweetly. "I have."

This caught his attention, and he stood up, moving towards her. "So your answer has changed?"

She nodded quietly, frustrated with the whole experience. "Yes."

Pascal didn't ask any more questions before kissing her roughly, his hands gripping and pulling at her skin. She shut her eyes tightly and stood still, trying to think about something else.

He moved away to close and lock the door, and Victoria swallowed the lump in her throat. She didn't know if she could do this anymore.

* * *

><p>When Conrad arrived at the doors of her workplace, waiting to pick her up, he immediately noticed the pale look on Victoria's face.<p>

"Are you okay?" He asked her as she stepped over to her side of the car. "You look a little pale."

"I'm fine. Can we talk later? At your house?" When she said 'his house,' they both knew she meant his bachelor pad.

"Yeah, of course." Quickly Conrad pushed his foot on the gas, speeding off towards his house.

After they arrived, Conrad parked the car and helped her out. She smiled at him gratefully but still felt somewhat nauseous.

"What did you want to talk about?" Conrad asked tenderly as he sat down on the couch next to her, dismissing the help.

"It's nothing, I mean, just... it's just James," she sighed, resting her head against his shoulder.

Conrad held her against him, surprised. She never showed him much affection besides sex. "What did he do?"

"He's making me sleep with Pascal," she blurted out. "Since you didn't pay me because of my bruises..."

"I can start paying you no matter what if this was because of me-" he started, but Victoria cut him off. "No. James is greedy. He constantly wants more of everything. He's using me every which way just to get by."

"I'm so sorry. I can give you double, and you can tell James half is from Pascal."

She shook her head miserably. "I don't want to make you do that."

"No, I want to. I don't want you sleeping with him."

"Pascal or James?" She laughed, shaking her head sorrowfully. "I'm a big girl Conrad, I can handle it myself."

"I don't want you sleeping with either of them. Why can't you just break up with James? That would resolve the whole Pascal situation too," he reminded her.

"What will James to when I leave him? He'll hurt me, or you," she imagined. "I can't let anyone get hurt anymore. I can endure him, he's not that bad..."

"Yes he is. I mean it. I want you to leave him."

"I'll consider it," she sighed, moving so she could sit on his lap. "Thank you. Just for listening. No one really does that for me."

"Yeah, of course," Conrad replied, smiling at her. Gently he slipped his arms around her waist, quietly holding her against him.

After a while Victoria finally spoke up. "I should probably get home..."

"We haven't even done anything yet. Just stay a little longer," he begged, stroking her shoulder tenderly.

"Conrad, I'm tired..." she said lamely, trying to think of an excuse.

"Then we don't have to do anything if you don't want to. Just stay the night here with me. Please." He looked into her eyes and kissed her cheek, pleading with her to stay.

Victoria couldn't resist him, as usual. "James will get angry... But I can tell him you paid me extra."

"I will if that's what it takes," he assured her. "Stevie's out tonight anyways. Please stay."

Already Victoria could feel the passion lighting up inside of her with every sweet word Conrad uttered. "All right. I'll stay," she said softly.

He abruptly lifted her up in his arms, carrying her to the bed. Gently lay her down on it, peppering a trail of kisses from her jawline to her shoulders.

When he kissed her, she felt a burning chill flood her body. If she ever had second thoughts about being with him, they were all gone now.

After they shared a few heated kisses, Conrad rolled over, and encircled his arms around her small waist. When he pulled her against his chest, she let out a contented sigh and entwined her fingers with his.

"If you're gone in the morning I'm going to be extremely disappointed," she mumbled lazily as he rested her head in the crook of his arm.

With a smile, Conrad leaned over to kiss her cheek one last time. "Don't worry Vic. I'm not going anywhere."

Within minute, his romantic words had sent her to a peaceful sleep, filled with dreams of a happy future ahead.

* * *

><p>When Conrad awoke, he was immediately astonished that Victoria's warm body wasn't lying next to him. Hearing a muffled cry come from the bathroom quickly alerted him to her whereabouts.<p>

"What's the matter?" He inquired, bending down to her level as he entered the bathroom.

Seated on the bathroom floor in front of the toilet was Victoria, who looked pale and was trembling. "I-I think I'm sick," she stuttered.

"How do you feel?" Conrad asked intently, brushing the damp hair, that was plastered to her forehead, away. "Do you want to see a doctor?"

Before she could reply, Victoria covered her mouth with one hand and lurched forward again, retching violently. Patiently Conrad leaned behind her, holding her hair out of her face.

When she finished, Victoria wiped her mouth with a towel and looked down. One of the things she didn't like was showing weakness around people, and it was embarrassing to be sick around Conrad.

"I'm taking you to the hospital," Conrad ordered, leaving no room for 'but's'. After letting Victoria brush her teeth, he put his arm around her waist, guiding her out of the door, and towards his car.

* * *

><p>"I'm sure it's nothing," Victoria tried to tell him as he parked the car. "Maybe it was something I ate."<p>

"I don't want to risk it. There's no way you have health insurance. If you want to get it checked out, you have to do it now," he reminded her. "If it is nothing, they'll tell us."

"Thank you for taking such good care of me. It really is sweet of you," she admitted as they entered the waiting room. Soon enough, Victoria's name was called, and they both stood up. Conrad escorted Victoria into the room behind the doctor.

All the doctor asked was for a few blood tests. Conrad assured Victoria that everything would be fine as they waited for the results. Before the doctor came in, Conrad excused himself to get water for them both. Victoria had hoped that Conrad would be back in time for the results, but that was not the case.

"You'll be pleased to know that nothing is wrong," the doctor announced. Victoria let out a sigh of relief when she heard those words.

"So I'm free to go?" Victoria asked. She never liked being in hospitals.

"Not yet. We found something else when we were running tests." The doctor smiled. "Congratulations Ms. Harper. You're pregnant."

"What?" Victoria nearly shouted. There had to be some mistake. She couldn't be pregnant...

"You're pregnant," he repeated. "Were you not expecting this?"

"No," she shook her head. "T-thank you."

He nodded. "You're free to go now."

Victoria stood up shakily. It felt like the floor was crumbling underneath her feet. Was it Conrad's? Was it Pascal's? Was it James's?

"There you are," Conrad called, handing her a bottle of water. "How was everything? What did he say?"

"It was nothing," she lied. "I told you, I'm fine."

"All right, well I just wanted to make sure," he laughed. "You're a tough girl."

Victoria pursed her lips and nodded quietly as they walked back to the car. Conrad decided that she was probably just tired and that was why she was so quiet.

"I need to go home," she begged after a few minutes of driving.

"Whatever you want," he replied. "I just don't want James to hurt you."

"I just need to get home, okay?" Victoria snapped. She needed a minute to comprehend what was going on.

"Okay!" he exclaimed. "I'll take you home!"

He took a sharp turn into the driveway of the apartment Victoria was staying at. "Here you are."

"Thank you for the ride," she said quietly, without looking him in the eyes. "I'll call you later."

He nodded. "I'll pick you up at work tomorrow. By Vic."

As she passed by his side of the car, he gently tugged her towards him, giving her a quick kiss. "It was nice to spend the night with you," he said honestly, gazing into her eyes. "Really nice."

"Yeah," she replied, nervously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Yeah, it was. Goodbye Conrad."

She turned and quickly walked off towards the door to the apartments. She couldn't let him know she was pregnant. If it wasn't his he wouldn't want her anymore, and if it was his then he might not want her either. After all, he was married.

Keeping him in the dark seemed like her best option.


End file.
